Though it didn't erase her bad mood entirely, Robin felt soothed.
She softly thanked Indeedee—then slipped on the ladder.
Distracted, she hadn't secured it properly. The ladder tipped sideways.
Robin squeezed her eyes shut—but no pain came. When she opened them, Indeedee's Psychic had caught her mid-fall.
"Indeedee?"
"I'm alright, sweetheart," Robin whispered, hugging the concerned Pokémon. "Ron mentioned you can sense people's thoughts?"
Indeedee nodded gently.
Robin's heart softened. "Thank you… I feel better now."
She buried her face in Indeedee's fur. "I don't know what's wrong with me…"
She'd never felt this fragile before. Past crises—like Demetrius burning down the house during experiments—never rattled her this deeply. Those were solvable. But yesterday's helplessness, the terror of the unknown, protecting her children and Joy's child while her husband chose to chase research in that cursed rain…
A sob escaped her.
Indeedee patted her back.
Ron paused, then set down his Hops and approached. "You okay, Robin?"
"Yeah…" Robin mumbled into Indeedee's fur. "Just… today, I really want to cry."
Ron knelt, rubbing her shoulder. "I saw Demetrius yesterday. His hazmat suit was solid. And I got soaked too—Linus did as well. I think the 'green rain' is just moss or fungal spores mixed in. Scary-looking, but harmless."
Robin lifted her head, eyes still red.
"So probably nothing to worry about," Ron added. "Demetrius studies this stuff—he likely knew it was safe. He didn't mean to scare you."
Though he wore a full hazmat suit…
"He's fine!" Robin sniffled, then worriedly eyed Ron. "But you? Any side effects?"
"None. Only the Geodude were affected." Ron pointed to the pond, where Rattata scrubbed moss off Geodude with brushes.
Since dawn, Geodude had been bathing—hating water but desperate to remove the itchy moss coating their bodies.
Robin laughed at the sight, then frowned at Ron.
He wasn't like Demetrius with professional gear. As a newcomer like Joy, he'd risked the rain only for the farm's sake.
Remembering Joy's panic yesterday, Robin stood, forcing a smile. "I'm good now! Hey—go to Harvey's clinic tomorrow. They offer free check-ups once a year."
"Check-up?"
"Yeah. Better safe than sorry. If there's an issue, treat it early. If not, then at least for your peace of mind."
Ron hesitated. "If I have time."
Seeing Robin's improved mood, he returned to harvesting Hops.
Pam, working nearby, spoke up. "Can I leave early today?"
Ron nodded. "For the check-up?"
"Yeah." She'd always hated clinics, but life had hope now—she wanted to live well.
"Go ahead. The farm will cover the cost if needed."
Even knowing the rain was harmless, paying for Pam's peace of mind was worth it. He'd planned to harvest alone yesterday.
"Oh—and get Shane too. He got soaked as well."
Pam thanked him and focused on work.
---
That evening…
Robin stayed late, finishing the Barn ahead of schedule.
Ron immediately moved the Miltank inside, paid Robin for tomorrow's Coop upgrade, then headed home, pondering cattle plans as he cooked dinner.
---
Summer 16
After morning chores, Ron checked the mailbox. The Pale Ale sales had deposited a hefty sum. Time to buy cattle.
He'd never planned to profit from milk—the Miltank's output alone could drown him in dairy for a year. His goal: raise beef for Kalos.
Marnie's calves matured in five days—a ludicrous timeline. Normal cattle took 12–18 months; here, just five days.
With enough livestock, his beef and chicken could supply 80% of Kalos's meat market.
Ron pocketed the bill and headed to Marnie's ranch.
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